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At long last here are the images for the final assignment. You are to write a 1,500 word essay on one of these images, during which you will use the 6 perspectives to analyse the image. The assignment is due by midnight on Sunday the 27th of April. As always i encourage you to do in depth research on the image before writing about it. Feel free to visit me if you have any questions.

Welcome to second year VisComm, this semester we will explore in detail the elements of design. Assignments will range from research papers to multiple week design based projects which will be printed mounted and presented. Additionally the creative design process will be coved at gear length and the recording and packaging of this process will serve as an integral part of each assignment.

Slides from each lecture will be posted on this site as well as assignment sheets and course outline. Below are links to PDFs containing the details for the next two assignments.

First of all just to confirm class will now begin at 8AM and end at 11AM (for everyone except Ikem.... sorry dude)

Week 1 Assignment: User Experience Redesign - The Coffee MachineCoffee vending machines were traditionally big, plain machines with a series of push-buttons for selecting coffee (regular or decaf), cream (none, some, lots) and sugar (none, some, lots.) Poor quality but hot coffee (or brown flavored water) was delivered (unceremoniously) in a paper cup through a compartment in the front of the machine. Payment was only coins or maybe dollar bills. The experience and interaction with the machine was less than engaging, did not communicate quality, and did not inspire trust or brand loyalty.

Using the criteria for the assignment (listed below), create concept sketches for your new coffee vending machine. What is the shape and size of the machine? Where will it be located? How will people approach it? How will it attract attention and invite interaction? How will customers select their coffee preferences? How will they pay? How will the coffee be distributed? Do not design the coffee selection interface (e.g., touchscreen) - focus on the form of the physical machine and show only the initial or default state of the coffee selection interface.

Things to keep in mind:

Audience for the device and interface

Physical device itself

Service(s) and function(s) the device provides and the needs or goals it helps users achieve

Existing devices in the same space

Opportunities and plans for improving, varying, and/or extending the service(s) and function(s) of the new device

Design a mobile telephone for illiterate users in poor countries. Text-based interfaces and menu systems of current phones are useless and do not convey information to people who cannot read. Address books in phones are based on names and numbers (which cannot be read) and addresses (that may not exist.) Iconography is only meaningful when the icon has abstract, metaphorical meaning to the user - most phone icons are based on western experiences (e.g., phone book icons) and may not be meaningful in poor countries. Design a mobile phone interface for people who cannot read, which does not rely on icons based on sociocultural experiences they may not share, and which allows the user to place calls without the help of others.